Frank Abagnale on the Death of the Con Artist and the Rise of Cybercrime

At the age of 16, Frank Abagnale posed as a pilot for Pan Am Airlines in order to wangle free flights. He later pretended to be a doctor, before masquerading as an attorney—just some of the eight different identities Abagnale claims to have assumed. Throughout this time he became a master forger of cheques, defrauding banks of millions of pounds.

Abagnale talks to Wired.co.uk about his past life as a conman, identity theft, the criminal opportunities made possible by the Web and the efforts made by governments to fight cybercrime.